Blimp Time-Hop: With Randy Sadly Gone, OZZY Returns To Maine

38 years ago today, Ozzy Osbourne played his second show at the Civic Center. This time without his very close friend and music partner, guitarist Randy Rhoads. It was the Diary of a Madman tour making a stop in Portland on May 22,1982.

Tragically, Randy was killed in a plane crash two months earlier in Florida. Guitarist Brad Gillis of Night Rangerstepped up for the understandably tough gig and joined Ozzy for the rest of the dates.

A show on the tour was recorded at the Ritz in NYC and released as the Speak of the Devil live album.

Steve Jennings

Here's what Ozzy and the band also featuring Rudy Sarzo on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums melted faces with at the CCCC that night.

Watch Ozzy with Brad Gillis on guitar doing Randy proud live in 1982, just a few weeks after the Portland appearance.

We count ten trips to Maine from Ozzy Osbourne from 1970 to 2008. Two of those shows were with Black Sabbath, one in 1970 at the University of Maine and one at the Cumberland County Civic Center in 1978.

Thanks for bringing all the beautifully heavy madness to us live on stage over the years, Ozzy. Blimpville loves you.